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While most of the superhero fans are already privy to Marvel and DC movies and TV shows, there is another comic publisher that has tons of great comics that have been adapted into iconic movies and TV shows. If you still don’t know which comic book publisher we are talking about then let us tell you it is the Dark Horse Comics publications which published several comic books on which great movies and TV shows like The Mask and The Umbrella Academy are based. So, we thought of compiling a list of the 10 best movies and TV shows based on the Dark Horse Comics.
The Mask (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – New Line Cinema
The Mask is a superhero action comedy film directed by Chuck Russell from a screenplay by Mike Werb. Based on the Dark Horse...
While most of the superhero fans are already privy to Marvel and DC movies and TV shows, there is another comic publisher that has tons of great comics that have been adapted into iconic movies and TV shows. If you still don’t know which comic book publisher we are talking about then let us tell you it is the Dark Horse Comics publications which published several comic books on which great movies and TV shows like The Mask and The Umbrella Academy are based. So, we thought of compiling a list of the 10 best movies and TV shows based on the Dark Horse Comics.
The Mask (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – New Line Cinema
The Mask is a superhero action comedy film directed by Chuck Russell from a screenplay by Mike Werb. Based on the Dark Horse...
- 9/23/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
This article contains references to trauma, death, conflict and bombings.
There is no shortage of comic book movies in today's media, however, there are some non-fiction comics that were made into films. The first comic can be traced back to 1837, which was written and drawn by Swiss cartoonist, Rodolphe Töpffer, and called The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck (via The News International). However, it was not until 1941 when the first true adaptation of a comic made the big screen with the release of Adventures of Captain Marvel. There are plenty of great comic book films, but very few are of the non-fiction genre.
The non-fiction comic gives new life to true stories, bridging mediums of storytelling and giving audiences a newfound appreciation of stories about war, culture, and personal experiences. This is because a comic book allows for beautiful artwork to immerse the reader in the story that is written,...
There is no shortage of comic book movies in today's media, however, there are some non-fiction comics that were made into films. The first comic can be traced back to 1837, which was written and drawn by Swiss cartoonist, Rodolphe Töpffer, and called The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck (via The News International). However, it was not until 1941 when the first true adaptation of a comic made the big screen with the release of Adventures of Captain Marvel. There are plenty of great comic book films, but very few are of the non-fiction genre.
The non-fiction comic gives new life to true stories, bridging mediums of storytelling and giving audiences a newfound appreciation of stories about war, culture, and personal experiences. This is because a comic book allows for beautiful artwork to immerse the reader in the story that is written,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Emma Wagner
- ScreenRant
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: In honor of “First Man,” which is now playing in theaters, what is the greatest biopic of all time?
Matt Zoller Seitz (@mattzollerseitz), RogerEbert.com
The best biographical movie I’ve ever seen was “32 Short Films About Glenn Gould,” because it gets the furthest away from traditional biographical movie structures and has a constant sense of surprise.
Sarah Marrs (@Cinesnark), LaineyGossip.com, Freelance
I’m giving this one to “Amadeus”. It’s not 100% accurate — no biopic is — but where “Amadeus” fudges details it does so in service of its theme. This movie has more to say about competition and rivalry than most sports movies, and it’s one of the only Great Man biopics to observe its subject from the outside. By centering on Salieri, a master in his own right,...
This week’s question: In honor of “First Man,” which is now playing in theaters, what is the greatest biopic of all time?
Matt Zoller Seitz (@mattzollerseitz), RogerEbert.com
The best biographical movie I’ve ever seen was “32 Short Films About Glenn Gould,” because it gets the furthest away from traditional biographical movie structures and has a constant sense of surprise.
Sarah Marrs (@Cinesnark), LaineyGossip.com, Freelance
I’m giving this one to “Amadeus”. It’s not 100% accurate — no biopic is — but where “Amadeus” fudges details it does so in service of its theme. This movie has more to say about competition and rivalry than most sports movies, and it’s one of the only Great Man biopics to observe its subject from the outside. By centering on Salieri, a master in his own right,...
- 10/15/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
A new year means an opportunity to reflect on the past. This is our list of the 100 best films of the last 15 years, Part 1 #100 through 76.
The first decade and a half of the 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the landscape of film. The advancement and sophistication of computers has made realistic computer generated effects a mainstay in both big-budget and small-budget films. The internet and streaming technologies have given big Hollywood new competition in films produced independently and by non-traditional means. We went from purchasing films on yards of tape to plastic disks, and now we can simply upload them to the cloud. Advertisements for films have reached a higher, more ruthless level where generating hype through trailers and teasers is crucial for a film’s commercial success. Movie attendance has fluctuated along with the economy, but that hasn’t stopped films from breaking box office records,...
The first decade and a half of the 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the landscape of film. The advancement and sophistication of computers has made realistic computer generated effects a mainstay in both big-budget and small-budget films. The internet and streaming technologies have given big Hollywood new competition in films produced independently and by non-traditional means. We went from purchasing films on yards of tape to plastic disks, and now we can simply upload them to the cloud. Advertisements for films have reached a higher, more ruthless level where generating hype through trailers and teasers is crucial for a film’s commercial success. Movie attendance has fluctuated along with the economy, but that hasn’t stopped films from breaking box office records,...
- 1/6/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
There are a number of films that sit on the Oscar bubble this season with strong possibilities at either original or adapted screenplay nominations. Many of these films, however, are not serious threats in any other category, which is not that rare for films in this century.
Generally, films that receive a nomination for their screenplay are often nominated in at least one other category, and, often, for one of the night’s major awards, such as best picture or director. One of this year’s indie darlings, Ex Machina, the sci-fi thriller from writer/director Alex Garland, was a big winner this past Sunday at the British Independent Film Awards. The film took home the best film, best director and best screenplay awards, yet the likelihood of an Oscar nomination in either the best pic or best director category is not high, as the...
Managing Editor
There are a number of films that sit on the Oscar bubble this season with strong possibilities at either original or adapted screenplay nominations. Many of these films, however, are not serious threats in any other category, which is not that rare for films in this century.
Generally, films that receive a nomination for their screenplay are often nominated in at least one other category, and, often, for one of the night’s major awards, such as best picture or director. One of this year’s indie darlings, Ex Machina, the sci-fi thriller from writer/director Alex Garland, was a big winner this past Sunday at the British Independent Film Awards. The film took home the best film, best director and best screenplay awards, yet the likelihood of an Oscar nomination in either the best pic or best director category is not high, as the...
- 12/9/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
20. Story of Ricky (Lik wong) – Starring Siu-Wong Fan as the titular character, Riki Oh, based on a manga series which eventually became an anime, marks the end of an era of Japanese exploitation flicks, before the new generation of filmmakers such as Takashi Miike took over. Unlike Miike’s movies, or other recent entries such as Tokyo Gore Police, Riki Oh’s tone borders on comedy, played up by bad voice dubbing, foolish plot lines, cartoonish gore and eccentric characters (including a one-eyed assistant warden with a hook for a hand). For a prison film, the movie never seems mean-spirited, and if anything it masquerades as a bizarre superhero flick. The effects are the main draw – Riki Oh exists simply to showcase several outlandish set pieces, ramping up the level of violence, gore and action with each new scene. Made before the days of CGI, director Lam relies simply on practical effects,...
- 9/2/2015
- by Staff
- SoundOnSight
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 19 Dec 2013 - 06:30
Our journey through the lesser-known films of the 2000s continues. This week, it's 2003...
It was the year that Arnold Schwarzenegger went from Terminator actor to Governor of California, and when The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King dominated the global box office with a gross of more than $1bn. 2003 was also the year the Wachowskis' Matrix trilogy thundered to a close, the year Freddy Krueger clashed with Jason Voorhees in, er, Freddy Vs Jason, and the year Pixar scored another hit with Finding Nemo.
But as you've probably gathered by now, 2003 was also a year of quite brilliant, less lucrative films. The movies we've included in this week's list were chosen for a variety of reasons - some were ignored in cinemas, while others were harshly treated by critics. Some were modestly popular or given awards on release,...
Our journey through the lesser-known films of the 2000s continues. This week, it's 2003...
It was the year that Arnold Schwarzenegger went from Terminator actor to Governor of California, and when The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King dominated the global box office with a gross of more than $1bn. 2003 was also the year the Wachowskis' Matrix trilogy thundered to a close, the year Freddy Krueger clashed with Jason Voorhees in, er, Freddy Vs Jason, and the year Pixar scored another hit with Finding Nemo.
But as you've probably gathered by now, 2003 was also a year of quite brilliant, less lucrative films. The movies we've included in this week's list were chosen for a variety of reasons - some were ignored in cinemas, while others were harshly treated by critics. Some were modestly popular or given awards on release,...
- 12/18/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Cinema has always liked telling a good life story, and all kinds of biography – from the humblest to the starriest – have been given a filmic going-over. The Guardian and Observer's critics pick the 10 best in a very crowded field
• Top 10 animated movies
• Top 10 silent movies
• Top 10 sports movies
• Top 10 film noir
• Top 10 musicals
• Top 10 martial arts movies
• More Guardian and Observer critics' top 10s
10. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
This is the most radical of all biopics. It does exactly what it promises, breaking the Canadian pianist's intense and troubled life into concentrated fragments. Reassembly is left to the viewer. When he began working on the screenplay with Don McKellar, the writer-director François Girard recognised the pitfalls of the genre. "There are many traps," he said. "The main temptation is to try to cram everything about a life into one film. What you need is a radical idea...
• Top 10 animated movies
• Top 10 silent movies
• Top 10 sports movies
• Top 10 film noir
• Top 10 musicals
• Top 10 martial arts movies
• More Guardian and Observer critics' top 10s
10. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
This is the most radical of all biopics. It does exactly what it promises, breaking the Canadian pianist's intense and troubled life into concentrated fragments. Reassembly is left to the viewer. When he began working on the screenplay with Don McKellar, the writer-director François Girard recognised the pitfalls of the genre. "There are many traps," he said. "The main temptation is to try to cram everything about a life into one film. What you need is a radical idea...
- 12/12/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
As if you hadn’t already noticed, we are going through a boom of films made from comic books or graphic novels. On the whole, they’re quite a popular choice for cinema goers and to that we say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Next up is Rurouni Kenshin, which is based on the popular manga of the same name by Nobuhiro Watsuki; and tells the story of ex-assassin Kenshin Himura (Takeru Satô) who has made a vow never to kill again. Now a wandering samurai, Kenshin protects those in need in hope of reparation. Finding a home at a failing dojo, he becomes entangled in a string of murders related to a drug ring. His vow is put to the test when those he’s come to care about are threatened by his troubled and violent past…
With Rurouni Kenshin hitting the big screen on October 4th,...
With Rurouni Kenshin hitting the big screen on October 4th,...
- 9/30/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Harvey Pekar has had a bronze statue erected in his honour inside the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library in recognition of his achievements in the world of comic books. The acclaimed writer will also be depicted on a series of limited edition membership cards issued by Cleveland Public Library. Pekar's widow Joyce Brabner raised $$38,356 in funding through crowd-.sourcing platform Kickstarter to have the statue built. Sculptor Justin Coultor created the design based on drawings by Pekar's collaborator Jt Waldman, who illustrated his posthumous work Not the Israel My parents Promised (more)...
- 10/19/2012
- by By Mark Langshaw
- Digital Spy
So what’s in Mindy’s head today?
I haven’t been to a convention in a long, long time, but reading about some of the ComicMix crew’s sojourn to Baltimore (here and here) lit up my temporal lobe – that’s the part of the brain responsible for memory, for you non-biology majors out there. James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery “Captain, the engines canna take it” Scott of the U.S.S. Enterprise Ncc-1701) in the “green room” at Icon spilling his coffee all over my new outfit and his gentlemanly response as he went to wipe my chest and then blushed, stopping himself just in time. London in 1986 – walking through London with Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Louise and Walter Simonson. Meeting Neil Gaiman and John Wagner. Forgetting that I met John Higgins and then marrying him 17 years later. The British Museum. The Tower of London. Breakfast with Mike Grell and Tom DeFalco.
I haven’t been to a convention in a long, long time, but reading about some of the ComicMix crew’s sojourn to Baltimore (here and here) lit up my temporal lobe – that’s the part of the brain responsible for memory, for you non-biology majors out there. James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery “Captain, the engines canna take it” Scott of the U.S.S. Enterprise Ncc-1701) in the “green room” at Icon spilling his coffee all over my new outfit and his gentlemanly response as he went to wipe my chest and then blushed, stopping himself just in time. London in 1986 – walking through London with Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Louise and Walter Simonson. Meeting Neil Gaiman and John Wagner. Forgetting that I met John Higgins and then marrying him 17 years later. The British Museum. The Tower of London. Breakfast with Mike Grell and Tom DeFalco.
- 9/17/2012
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Just read Emily’s column (which is here) about her, uh, misadventures as a woman who loves comics.
*sigh*
Next year will mark twenty years since I first wrote Jenesis for DC’s New Talent Program. And for the last twenty years everything that Emily said last week has been said ad nauseum by me, Kim Yale, Mary Mitchell, Jo Duffy, Marie Javins, Gail Simone, Joyce Brabner… and the list goes on. Every woman involved in the comics world – writer, artist, colorist, letterer, inker, reader – has experienced the overt and covert misogyny typified by Emily’s experience in that comic book store. Every one of us has been on a Women In Comics panel once, twice or more during our professional lives. We’ve all talked about changing people’s attitudes, fighting the good fight, gaining respect. The faces on the panels, the faces in the audiences, they all change,...
*sigh*
Next year will mark twenty years since I first wrote Jenesis for DC’s New Talent Program. And for the last twenty years everything that Emily said last week has been said ad nauseum by me, Kim Yale, Mary Mitchell, Jo Duffy, Marie Javins, Gail Simone, Joyce Brabner… and the list goes on. Every woman involved in the comics world – writer, artist, colorist, letterer, inker, reader – has experienced the overt and covert misogyny typified by Emily’s experience in that comic book store. Every one of us has been on a Women In Comics panel once, twice or more during our professional lives. We’ve all talked about changing people’s attitudes, fighting the good fight, gaining respect. The faces on the panels, the faces in the audiences, they all change,...
- 7/16/2012
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Kim Yale.
Kimberly Yale, as you know, was John Ostrander’s wife, and it was John’s beautiful tribute to her in his column Wwkl? last week that has inspired me to write about her and our friendship.
Kim and I met over 20 years ago at a Chicago ComicCon when she chaired a Women In Comics panel to which I had been invited. I was a real newbie to the biz, wondering what the hell I was doing there, and completely awed to be meeting the real people behind the names on the splash pages of my favorite comics. So I was incredibly shy – yes, hard to believe, but completely true – when I went into the room where the panel was being held and walked up onto the dais. I didn’t know anyone…or at least, it felt like that. Although I do believe that it was Michael Davis...
Kimberly Yale, as you know, was John Ostrander’s wife, and it was John’s beautiful tribute to her in his column Wwkl? last week that has inspired me to write about her and our friendship.
Kim and I met over 20 years ago at a Chicago ComicCon when she chaired a Women In Comics panel to which I had been invited. I was a real newbie to the biz, wondering what the hell I was doing there, and completely awed to be meeting the real people behind the names on the splash pages of my favorite comics. So I was incredibly shy – yes, hard to believe, but completely true – when I went into the room where the panel was being held and walked up onto the dais. I didn’t know anyone…or at least, it felt like that. Although I do believe that it was Michael Davis...
- 3/19/2012
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
It seems that every award season cinemas big and small are assaulted by a glut of biopics. Whether they are a retelling of an inspirational personal triumph al a 127 Hours or whether they retell the stories of life’s heroes and characters. Already in the run-in to 2012’s Oscar Ceremony we have already had Phyllida Lloyd’s the iron lady which had a powerhouse of a performance from Meryl Streep, so at least there was some value if everything else was such a cataclysmic misfire. Other recent and forthcoming biopics include J.Edgar and Albert Nobbs. Instead of looking forward to those films, I will use this opportunity to list some examples of biopics that show how varied this mode of storytelling can be, without that reliance of awards baiting coming into view.
Raging Bull
Once upon a time Robert De Niro was one of the best actors in the...
Raging Bull
Once upon a time Robert De Niro was one of the best actors in the...
- 1/16/2012
- by Robert Simpson
- SoundOnSight
Way to go, American Splendor fans!
Donors have given enough money to honor author Harvey Pekar with a desk and sculpture to be installed at the Cleveland Height-University Heights Public Library.
Joyce Brabner, Pekar’s widow, said in early November that $30,000 had to be raised by Dec. 5, for his tribute.
The campaign, started online at Kickstarter, had already raised $30,787 through Monday with 669 backers, according to Carole Wallencheck, a reference associate with the library.
With 13 days to go before the deadline, Wallencheck said any surplus donations will be given to the library to buy graphic novels.
via Harvey Pekar tribute drive surpasses $30,000 goal | cleveland.com.
Related articles Remembering Harvey Pekar one year later (comicsbeat.com) Harvey Pekar statue campaign on Kickstarter gets Alan Moore’s help (boingboing.net)...
Donors have given enough money to honor author Harvey Pekar with a desk and sculpture to be installed at the Cleveland Height-University Heights Public Library.
Joyce Brabner, Pekar’s widow, said in early November that $30,000 had to be raised by Dec. 5, for his tribute.
The campaign, started online at Kickstarter, had already raised $30,787 through Monday with 669 backers, according to Carole Wallencheck, a reference associate with the library.
With 13 days to go before the deadline, Wallencheck said any surplus donations will be given to the library to buy graphic novels.
via Harvey Pekar tribute drive surpasses $30,000 goal | cleveland.com.
Related articles Remembering Harvey Pekar one year later (comicsbeat.com) Harvey Pekar statue campaign on Kickstarter gets Alan Moore’s help (boingboing.net)...
- 11/22/2011
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Harvey Pecker, an American comics author most noted for creating “American Splendor”, will soon have a statue built in his honor at Cleveland Heights Public Library. Joyce Brabner, Pecker’s widow, recently launched a kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the statue, which would be created by sculptor Justin Coulter. The fund recently met its goal of $30,000, several days in advance if its Monday, Dec. 5 deadline (note: you can still donate, the Kickstarter campaign takes a percentage away from donations). The bronze statue will be mounted on a desk, with Pekar emerging from a comic book panel, while the reverse side will have panels on which participants can draw their own comics. The desk will always be supplied with writing materials and art supplies. Joyce Brabner stated, “Harvey always felt that comics were modern art and literature, and he loved the Cleveland Heights Library. This is especially for people who...
- 11/21/2011
- by Terry Boyden
- BuzzFocus.com
In our writers' favourite films series, Amy Fleming explains why she's drawn to the world of comic-book author Harvey Pekar
• Don't spare us the graphic detail, post your own review of American Splendor – or get comical in the comments
The underground comic writer Harvey Pekar didn't really do happy, but he did truth and humour in spades, which is why American Splendor, a 2002 film about Pekar (in which he also appears), got under my skin in a big way. "If you're the kind of person looking for romance or escapism or some fantasy figure to save the day," warns his rasping narration at the start, "guess what? You got the wrong movie." Sometimes, a little cinematic holiday from the gloss and fantasy of Hollywood is just what the doctor ordered.
Pekar, a downtrodden hospital file clerk, chronicled the intricacies of his glum life in depressed Cleveland, Ohio, in his ironically named American Splendor comic books.
• Don't spare us the graphic detail, post your own review of American Splendor – or get comical in the comments
The underground comic writer Harvey Pekar didn't really do happy, but he did truth and humour in spades, which is why American Splendor, a 2002 film about Pekar (in which he also appears), got under my skin in a big way. "If you're the kind of person looking for romance or escapism or some fantasy figure to save the day," warns his rasping narration at the start, "guess what? You got the wrong movie." Sometimes, a little cinematic holiday from the gloss and fantasy of Hollywood is just what the doctor ordered.
Pekar, a downtrodden hospital file clerk, chronicled the intricacies of his glum life in depressed Cleveland, Ohio, in his ironically named American Splendor comic books.
- 11/7/2011
- by Amy Fleming
- The Guardian - Film News
Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz's Brought to Light is being digitally remastered for re-release. Acclaimed Elektra: Assassin artist Sienkiewicz posted remastered pages from the 1988 Eclipse Comics book on his Facebook page, reports Forbidden Planet International. The pair's story 'Shadowplay: The Secret Team' made up only half of the comic. The second was Joyce Brabner and Tom Yeates's 'Flashpoint: The La Penca Bombing'. Both stories were based on material from lawsuits against the Us Government filed by the Christic Institute, a public interest law firm. 'Shadowplay' (more)...
- 9/26/2011
- by By Hugh Armitage
- Digital Spy
San Diego is calling all geeks! Comic-Con 2011 is so close yet so far away, But the amount of fun we are planning on having is going to be epic. Comic-Con International has unleashed the full schedule for Saturday July 23rd, and of course it's going to be another great day at the con, and since it's Saturday it will also be the most crowded. Here's a an example of what you will be going down... Immortals, Snow White and the Hunstman, Alcatraz, Terra Nova, Family Guy, Marvel TV, Community, Knights of Badassdom, Grimm, Kevin Smith and more!
I've gone through the list and put stars next to all of the events and panels that we want to cover. Let us know what panels and events you would like to know about and we will try and get them covered for you! If you are actually going to be at the con,...
I've gone through the list and put stars next to all of the events and panels that we want to cover. Let us know what panels and events you would like to know about and we will try and get them covered for you! If you are actually going to be at the con,...
- 7/9/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Comic-Con 2011 is just two weeks away. Our man on the video game beat, Evan Narcisse, already told you about Legendary Pictures' plan to talk about the "Mass Effect" movie in San Diego, now I've got what I'm calling The Discerning Film Nerd's Guide to Thursday at Comic-Con. If you're going, and you've got taste close to mine, these are the events you're going to want to check out.
My only rule when suggesting panels to attend was to leave out anything in the Convention Center's mammoth Hall H. If you want to see something in there -- and on Thursday the events range from a presentation on the final two "Twilight" movies to a conversation between Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro -- you'd have needed to start camping out roughly four months ago. If you're gonna do Hall H at Comic-Con you're basically going to lose your whole day,...
My only rule when suggesting panels to attend was to leave out anything in the Convention Center's mammoth Hall H. If you want to see something in there -- and on Thursday the events range from a presentation on the final two "Twilight" movies to a conversation between Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro -- you'd have needed to start camping out roughly four months ago. If you're gonna do Hall H at Comic-Con you're basically going to lose your whole day,...
- 7/8/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Comic-Con International has unleashed the full schedule for Wednesday and Thursday for the San Diego Comic-Con 2011, and there is going to be a ton of stuff to keep you incredibly busy and entertained.
Like I've been saying it's never to early to start planning, and there is a ton of stuff here that we are looking forward to checking out. I've gone through the list and put exclamation points next to all of the events that we are looking forward to attending. What panels and events are you looking forward to?
We will be at Comic-Con in full force this year, bringing you everything you need and want to know about. We will also be having a GeekTyrant meet-up this year, which we announce soon.
See you at the con!
Wednesday July 20th
!!! 6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural...
Like I've been saying it's never to early to start planning, and there is a ton of stuff here that we are looking forward to checking out. I've gone through the list and put exclamation points next to all of the events that we are looking forward to attending. What panels and events are you looking forward to?
We will be at Comic-Con in full force this year, bringing you everything you need and want to know about. We will also be having a GeekTyrant meet-up this year, which we announce soon.
See you at the con!
Wednesday July 20th
!!! 6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural...
- 7/7/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
The Comic Book world has been paying tribute to Harvey Pekar, best known for his autobiographical series American Splendor, after he died yesterday at the age of 70.
Pekar was found dead by his wife Joyce Brabner at their home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The cause of death isn't yet known but he had been suffering from prostate cancer.
American Splendor chronicled his everyday existence, with the first issue published in 1976. Throughout his life, even after his comic book success, Pekar worked as a filing clerk in a large Veterans Administration hospital.
In 2003, the comic was turned into a film, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, and starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar. It also featured appearances from Pekar and his wife Joyce.
The movie won the Best Adapted Screenplay award from the Writers' Guild of America and was nominated for a similar award at the 2003 Academy Awards.
Pekar was found dead by his wife Joyce Brabner at their home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The cause of death isn't yet known but he had been suffering from prostate cancer.
American Splendor chronicled his everyday existence, with the first issue published in 1976. Throughout his life, even after his comic book success, Pekar worked as a filing clerk in a large Veterans Administration hospital.
In 2003, the comic was turned into a film, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, and starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar. It also featured appearances from Pekar and his wife Joyce.
The movie won the Best Adapted Screenplay award from the Writers' Guild of America and was nominated for a similar award at the 2003 Academy Awards.
- 7/14/2010
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Comic book writer who penned the autobiographical American Splendor
Harvey Pekar, who has died aged 70, was the writer of American Splendor, an autobiographical comic in which he wrote about the everyday, often mundane, aspects of his life. Pekar experimented with the narrative form and used a shifting roster of artists on his comics, but it was the sheer ordinariness of the stories that slowly earned him a strong following, critical acclaim and comparisons with Chekhov and Dostoevsky.
Set in the rundown neighbourhoods of Cleveland, Ohio, American Splendor's world was revealed without exaggeration or self-aggrandisement. Pekar, opinionated and curmudgeonly, was often the most frustrating and aggravating character to appear in his books. The writer became a regular guest on the talkshow Late Night With David Letterman, but his confrontational style led to him being banned from it.
In 1990, Pekar was diagnosed with lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy. Heavy medication led to hallucinations and occasional paralysis,...
Harvey Pekar, who has died aged 70, was the writer of American Splendor, an autobiographical comic in which he wrote about the everyday, often mundane, aspects of his life. Pekar experimented with the narrative form and used a shifting roster of artists on his comics, but it was the sheer ordinariness of the stories that slowly earned him a strong following, critical acclaim and comparisons with Chekhov and Dostoevsky.
Set in the rundown neighbourhoods of Cleveland, Ohio, American Splendor's world was revealed without exaggeration or self-aggrandisement. Pekar, opinionated and curmudgeonly, was often the most frustrating and aggravating character to appear in his books. The writer became a regular guest on the talkshow Late Night With David Letterman, but his confrontational style led to him being banned from it.
In 1990, Pekar was diagnosed with lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy. Heavy medication led to hallucinations and occasional paralysis,...
- 7/13/2010
- by Steve Holland
- The Guardian - Film News
On the morning of July 12, 2010, having just poured myself a cup of coffee, I began to scan a page from the Harvey Pekar/Robert Crumb story "Standing Behind Old Jewish Ladies in Supermarket Lines" for an essay on American Splendor (2003) that I had been working on. While holding the comic up to the glass of the scanner, my TweetDeck account began to chirp: Pekar had passed away at the age of 70. I was deeply affected by the sad news, given that I had spent so much time with Harvey's work lately and had in fact contemplated just a week or two ago reviewing the film for Pajiba. Yet, while Harvey may be gone, his work lives on, be it through his groundbreaking comics or one of the best comic book adaptations to make it out of Hollywood, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's American Splendor.
The film begins...
The film begins...
- 7/13/2010
- by Drew Morton
Comic book icon Harvey Pekar has passed away at the age of 70 in his Cleveland home, following a battle with prostate cancer, asthma, and high blood pressure. Pekar’s autobiographical comic book series American Splendor , written by Pekar and illustrated by a variety of artists debuted in 1976 and generally followed the everyday life of Pekar in Cleveland, Ohio.
The comic was adapted for the big screen in 2003 with Pekar brilliantly portrayed by Paul Giamatti. The film went on to earn an Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay.
Pekar is survived by his wife, Joyce Brabner and their daughter Danielle.
The comic was adapted for the big screen in 2003 with Pekar brilliantly portrayed by Paul Giamatti. The film went on to earn an Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay.
Pekar is survived by his wife, Joyce Brabner and their daughter Danielle.
- 7/13/2010
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
Cult comic creator and legendary grump Harvey Pekar has died at the age of 70 at home in Ohio.Pekar, whose work in comics garnered him a devout following and whose autobiographical collection American Splendor was turned into a 2003 film starring Paul Giamatti as the writer, was well known for his acerbic outlook on life and distinctive observations.The author had been suffering from prostate cancer, high blood pressure and asthma on top of the depression he dealt with through much of his life, but it’s not known at this time what led to his death on Monday.He and wife Joyce Brabner turned an earlier struggle with the big C into another successful comic book, Our Cancer Year, and turning his personal problems into superbly crafted comic tales was a trademark of his work.Inspired by his friend and fellow comics legend-to-be R Crumb, Pekar first started writing about...
- 7/13/2010
- EmpireOnline
American Splendor Creator Found Dead
Comic book icon Harvey Pekar has died at his home in Ohio. He was 70.
Pekar, who was battling cancer, high blood pressure and depression, was found unconscious by his wife Joyce Brabner on Monday morning.
Local police have confirmed an autopsy will be performed.
Pekar was the brains behind his glum, autobiographical comic book series American Splendor, which was made into an Oscar nominated movie. It starred Paul Giamatti as Pekar.
He began publishing American Splendor in the mid-1970s and recently turned his moody musings on life and love into an Internet series, titled The Pekar Project.
Pekar, who was battling cancer, high blood pressure and depression, was found unconscious by his wife Joyce Brabner on Monday morning.
Local police have confirmed an autopsy will be performed.
Pekar was the brains behind his glum, autobiographical comic book series American Splendor, which was made into an Oscar nominated movie. It starred Paul Giamatti as Pekar.
He began publishing American Splendor in the mid-1970s and recently turned his moody musings on life and love into an Internet series, titled The Pekar Project.
- 7/12/2010
- WENN
Harvey Pekar, the curmudgeonly author and subject of the film American Splendor, has passed away at the age of 70. He was found by his wife, Joyce Brabner, around 1am this morning.
My memory of Harvey, like a lot of us, probably, began with his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, and his contentious last appearance on the show is featured below. But prior to those interviews, Harvey had already established himself as something of a working class hero: He had a job as a file clerk, he worried incessantly about his own anxieties, and year later, he struggled with cancer. And it was all in his comic book series, American Splendor.
Pekar's work was not limited to comics, however; he was also a well-regarded jazz aficionado and critic. And, of course, there was the file clerk job, which he kept until he retired in 2001.
The film won the Grand...
My memory of Harvey, like a lot of us, probably, began with his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, and his contentious last appearance on the show is featured below. But prior to those interviews, Harvey had already established himself as something of a working class hero: He had a job as a file clerk, he worried incessantly about his own anxieties, and year later, he struggled with cancer. And it was all in his comic book series, American Splendor.
Pekar's work was not limited to comics, however; he was also a well-regarded jazz aficionado and critic. And, of course, there was the file clerk job, which he kept until he retired in 2001.
The film won the Grand...
- 7/12/2010
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Comic book author Harvey Pekar was found dead at his Cleveland home on Monday at 1 Am after police were called by his wife.
The author, who was well known for his "American Splendor" comic books suffered from prostate cancer, asthma and high blood pressure. The official cause of his death has not yet been determined.
It wasn't until the release of the film "American Splendor" in 2003 that Pekar became well-known to mainstream America.
Pekar is survived by his wife,...
The author, who was well known for his "American Splendor" comic books suffered from prostate cancer, asthma and high blood pressure. The official cause of his death has not yet been determined.
It wasn't until the release of the film "American Splendor" in 2003 that Pekar became well-known to mainstream America.
Pekar is survived by his wife,...
- 7/12/2010
- Extra
Comic-book writer Harvey Pekar, whose autobiographical comic series American Splendor was made into a 2003 Oscar nominated film starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey in addition to Harvey appearing as himself, has been found dead in his Ohio home. He was 70.
Cleveland Heights police Capt. Michael Cannon says officers were called to Pekar's home by his wife Joyce Brabner about 1 a.m. Monday. Cannon says Pekar had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression. Coroner's spokesman Powell Caesar in Cleveland says an autopsy will be performed.
Pekar's "American Splendor" comics, which he began publishing in 1976, record his complaints about work, money and the day-to-day grind of life. The comic was done with stories from dozens of artists over the years in a wide variety of styles. Recently, the stories had begun to migrate to the web, as The Pekar Project.
He gained widespread notoriety from his appearances on Late Night With David Letterman,...
Cleveland Heights police Capt. Michael Cannon says officers were called to Pekar's home by his wife Joyce Brabner about 1 a.m. Monday. Cannon says Pekar had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression. Coroner's spokesman Powell Caesar in Cleveland says an autopsy will be performed.
Pekar's "American Splendor" comics, which he began publishing in 1976, record his complaints about work, money and the day-to-day grind of life. The comic was done with stories from dozens of artists over the years in a wide variety of styles. Recently, the stories had begun to migrate to the web, as The Pekar Project.
He gained widespread notoriety from his appearances on Late Night With David Letterman,...
- 7/12/2010
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Harvey Pekar's life in and out of comics cultivated his well-earned, thick-skinned reputation for speaking his mind and perpetually questioning the world around him. Whether it was kicking off his recent webcomics series "The Pekar Project" or provoking David Letterman, Pekar never seemed to hide what was on his chest, and for that he'll be remembered long after his death this week as a unique and adaptive voice in the world of comics.
Pekar was found dead just before 1 Am at his home in Cleveland Heights, Oh, according to Cleveland.com. Cleveland and Pekar's world there became monumental in and of themselves within his work, as did Pekar's feelings on mortality in his story "Our Cancer Year," which he co-created with his wife Joyce Brabner.
Pekar managed to transcend the world of underground comics where his work began amassing an audience, and he remains one of a handful of...
Pekar was found dead just before 1 Am at his home in Cleveland Heights, Oh, according to Cleveland.com. Cleveland and Pekar's world there became monumental in and of themselves within his work, as did Pekar's feelings on mortality in his story "Our Cancer Year," which he co-created with his wife Joyce Brabner.
Pekar managed to transcend the world of underground comics where his work began amassing an audience, and he remains one of a handful of...
- 7/12/2010
- by Brian Warmoth
- MTV Splash Page
Harvey Pekar, who chronicled his travails as a low-level filing clerk in the autobiographical comics series "American Splendor," which was adapted into the award-winning 2003 film, has died. He was 70.
The idiosyncratic writer, who had a range of ailments including prostate cancer, high blood pressure, asthma and clinical depression, was found dead shortly before 1 a.m. Monday by his wife, Joyce Brabner, in their home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a spokesman for Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
An employee of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Cleveland until he retired in 2001, Pekar became friends with underground comics creator Robert Crumb through their mutual love of jazz and began contributing stories to Crumb's "The People's Comics" during the 1970s. Beginning in 1976, Pekar began publishing tales, drawn from his life, under the title "American Splendor," with Crumb...
The idiosyncratic writer, who had a range of ailments including prostate cancer, high blood pressure, asthma and clinical depression, was found dead shortly before 1 a.m. Monday by his wife, Joyce Brabner, in their home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a spokesman for Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
An employee of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Cleveland until he retired in 2001, Pekar became friends with underground comics creator Robert Crumb through their mutual love of jazz and began contributing stories to Crumb's "The People's Comics" during the 1970s. Beginning in 1976, Pekar began publishing tales, drawn from his life, under the title "American Splendor," with Crumb...
- 7/12/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comic book cult hero was the subject of 2003 Oscar-nominated biopic.
By Eric Ditzian
Harvey Pekar
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Famed comic book author Harvey Pekar has died at the age of 70, The Associated Press reports. He was found dead in his Cleveland Heights, Ohio, home early Monday (July 12).
Pekar had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, according to Cleveland Heights Police Capt. Michael Cannon. He had gone to bed about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and was discovered between a bed and dresser. His wife, Joyce Brabner, called officers at around 1 a.m.
The irascible comic writer, long a beloved cult figure, reached a whole new audience in 2003, when Paul Giamatti played him in the Oscar-nominated biopic, "American Splendor." Pekar also appeared as himself in the film, which was both a postmodern exploration of Pekar's life and a dramatization of his autobiographical comics,...
By Eric Ditzian
Harvey Pekar
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Famed comic book author Harvey Pekar has died at the age of 70, The Associated Press reports. He was found dead in his Cleveland Heights, Ohio, home early Monday (July 12).
Pekar had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, according to Cleveland Heights Police Capt. Michael Cannon. He had gone to bed about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and was discovered between a bed and dresser. His wife, Joyce Brabner, called officers at around 1 a.m.
The irascible comic writer, long a beloved cult figure, reached a whole new audience in 2003, when Paul Giamatti played him in the Oscar-nominated biopic, "American Splendor." Pekar also appeared as himself in the film, which was both a postmodern exploration of Pekar's life and a dramatization of his autobiographical comics,...
- 7/12/2010
- MTV Music News
WGA movie noms: niche originals, adapted giants
Smaller films from specialty film companies dominated the nominees Thursday for original screenplay at the 56th annual Writers Guild Awards, while adapted screenplays were nominated from several of the year's bigger releases including The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Cold Mountain. Nominated for original screenplay were Gurinder Chadha, Paul Berges and Guljit Bindra for Fox Searchlight Pictures' Bend It Like Beckham, Steven Knight for Miramax Films' Dirty Pretty Things, Jim Sheridan and daughters Naomi Sheridan and Kirsten Sheridan for Fox Searchlight Pictures' In America, Sofia Coppola for Focus Features' Lost in Translation, and Tom McCarthy for Miramax Films' The Station Agent. Adapted screenplay nominees were: Robert Pulcini and Shari Berman for HBO Films/Fine Line Features' American Splendor, based on the comic book series by Harvey Pekar and novel by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner; Anthony Minghella for Miramax Films' Cold Mountain, based on the novel by Charles Frazier; Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson for New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien; Brian Helgeland for Warner Bros. Pictures' Mystic River, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane; and Gary Ross for Universal Pictures' Seabiscuit based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand.
- 1/22/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
American Splendor
This review was written for the festival screening of "American Splendor".
PARK CITY -- Every now and then, ambitious filmmakers try to capture the rhythms and splendor of everyday life, the mundane, nitty-gritty routine people experience almost without noticing. Other filmmakers, equally as ambitious, struggle to portray the blue-collar environment, where daily drudgery consumes much of waking life and dark pessimism creeps into the soul. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's "American Splendor", which derives from the autobiographical comic books written by Cleveland's most famous file clerk, Harvey Pekar, absolutely nails those elusive ambitions. It's an extraordinary film.
Taking as its theme the Pekarism that "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff," the two documentarians in their feature debut hit an unbelievably rich vein of drama, humor, love, whimsy, psychological turmoil, commonplace travails, genuine trauma and artistic triumph.
Pekar's core following is small, but this HBO movie's take on the cult of Harvey and his impressive comic book series should help it grow immeasurably. Premiering in competition at Sundance, "American Splendor", a clear audience favorite, richly deserves theatrical exposure as well.
The filmmakers employ a mixed-media approach that turns the movie screen into a comic book panel, bringing us images of the real Harvey Pekar, who narrates the film in his raspy voice, intercut with his fictional self, wife and adopted child played with robust energy by, respectively, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Madylin Sweeten. Archival footage of Harvey's unruly appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," a stage version of "American Splendor" and animation, which picks up the style and substance of his comics -- all seamlessly integrated -- flesh out the story of one of life's losers who gets his revenge but doesn't seem to enjoy it.
Make no doubt, Harvey is a loser. An obsessive-compulsive personality who clutters his home with thousands of vintage LPs and books, he has settled into a safe but dull existence as a VA hospital file clerk in Cleveland. His co-workers are a collection of misfits, each with his own personality disorder, the funniest being Toby (Judah Friedlander), whose slow speech and simple-minded values strike a resonant cord with the audience. But even Toby fails to dissipate the clouds of doom and gloom that hover over Harvey.
Then comes a chance meeting while rummaging for treasures at a garage sale with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), who becomes a buddy. When Crumb gains international recognition for his taboo-smashing underground comics, this energizes Harvey to write his own comics. He can't draw, so he fills panels with stick figures and a no-b.s. account of the trials and tribulations of life. Crumb likes them enough to illustrate them.
After the publication of the first "American Splendor" in 1976, other illustrators take over, causing Harvey's appearance to change frequently. None of this brings fame or fortune. However, it does bring a letter from a Delaware comic book store owner, Joyce Brabner (Davis), who after more correspondence and phone conversations comes to Cleveland. Almost immediately, the two marry, determining that for better or worse -- and it often is worse -- they are soul mates.
Even the "Letterman" appearances don't boost sales as the talk show host makes Harvey the butt of jokes about his ordinariness. Real drama comes when Harvey struggles for a year with cancer, an experience he and Joyce turn into a graphic novel.
Moving back and forth from the neorealistic look of "American Splendor" to the more artificial, quasi-documentary segments, the filmmakers playfully express the comic books' point of view about Harvey's existence and his working-class neighborhood. Believing that life is best observed in the details, the film sharply scrutinizes the little things that reveal whole mind-sets and attitudes. Harvey's pessimism, obsessions and frustrations -- the things that may have made him sick and certainly helped him to nearly lose his voice -- enrich his narrative art.
Giamatti gives a great performance, finding humor and humanity in this sad-sack schlemiel. So too with Davis, who makes Joyce into a shy yet shrewd woman who immediately sees her husband as a lifelong reclamation project.
Harvey may have played the buffoon with Letterman, but the guy is really a grunge intellectual. And the untidy ordinariness of his life is hugely compelling when seen from the right angle.
Helping to create that angle are the earthen palette of Terry Stacey's cinematography, the animation, titles and special effects handled by Gary Leib and John Kuramoto, music that reflects Pekar's affection for jazz and R&B and Pulcini's own smooth editing.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
HBO Films
A Good Machine production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer: Ted Hope
Director of photography: Terry Stacey
Production designer: Therese DePrez
Music: Mark Suozzo
Costume designer: Michael Wilkinson
Editor: Robert Pulcini
Cast:
Harvey Pekar: Paul Giamatti
Joyce Brabner: Hope Davis
Toby Radloff: Judah Friedlander
Robert Crumb: James Urbaniak
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- Every now and then, ambitious filmmakers try to capture the rhythms and splendor of everyday life, the mundane, nitty-gritty routine people experience almost without noticing. Other filmmakers, equally as ambitious, struggle to portray the blue-collar environment, where daily drudgery consumes much of waking life and dark pessimism creeps into the soul. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's "American Splendor", which derives from the autobiographical comic books written by Cleveland's most famous file clerk, Harvey Pekar, absolutely nails those elusive ambitions. It's an extraordinary film.
Taking as its theme the Pekarism that "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff," the two documentarians in their feature debut hit an unbelievably rich vein of drama, humor, love, whimsy, psychological turmoil, commonplace travails, genuine trauma and artistic triumph.
Pekar's core following is small, but this HBO movie's take on the cult of Harvey and his impressive comic book series should help it grow immeasurably. Premiering in competition at Sundance, "American Splendor", a clear audience favorite, richly deserves theatrical exposure as well.
The filmmakers employ a mixed-media approach that turns the movie screen into a comic book panel, bringing us images of the real Harvey Pekar, who narrates the film in his raspy voice, intercut with his fictional self, wife and adopted child played with robust energy by, respectively, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Madylin Sweeten. Archival footage of Harvey's unruly appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," a stage version of "American Splendor" and animation, which picks up the style and substance of his comics -- all seamlessly integrated -- flesh out the story of one of life's losers who gets his revenge but doesn't seem to enjoy it.
Make no doubt, Harvey is a loser. An obsessive-compulsive personality who clutters his home with thousands of vintage LPs and books, he has settled into a safe but dull existence as a VA hospital file clerk in Cleveland. His co-workers are a collection of misfits, each with his own personality disorder, the funniest being Toby (Judah Friedlander), whose slow speech and simple-minded values strike a resonant cord with the audience. But even Toby fails to dissipate the clouds of doom and gloom that hover over Harvey.
Then comes a chance meeting while rummaging for treasures at a garage sale with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), who becomes a buddy. When Crumb gains international recognition for his taboo-smashing underground comics, this energizes Harvey to write his own comics. He can't draw, so he fills panels with stick figures and a no-b.s. account of the trials and tribulations of life. Crumb likes them enough to illustrate them.
After the publication of the first "American Splendor" in 1976, other illustrators take over, causing Harvey's appearance to change frequently. None of this brings fame or fortune. However, it does bring a letter from a Delaware comic book store owner, Joyce Brabner (Davis), who after more correspondence and phone conversations comes to Cleveland. Almost immediately, the two marry, determining that for better or worse -- and it often is worse -- they are soul mates.
Even the "Letterman" appearances don't boost sales as the talk show host makes Harvey the butt of jokes about his ordinariness. Real drama comes when Harvey struggles for a year with cancer, an experience he and Joyce turn into a graphic novel.
Moving back and forth from the neorealistic look of "American Splendor" to the more artificial, quasi-documentary segments, the filmmakers playfully express the comic books' point of view about Harvey's existence and his working-class neighborhood. Believing that life is best observed in the details, the film sharply scrutinizes the little things that reveal whole mind-sets and attitudes. Harvey's pessimism, obsessions and frustrations -- the things that may have made him sick and certainly helped him to nearly lose his voice -- enrich his narrative art.
Giamatti gives a great performance, finding humor and humanity in this sad-sack schlemiel. So too with Davis, who makes Joyce into a shy yet shrewd woman who immediately sees her husband as a lifelong reclamation project.
Harvey may have played the buffoon with Letterman, but the guy is really a grunge intellectual. And the untidy ordinariness of his life is hugely compelling when seen from the right angle.
Helping to create that angle are the earthen palette of Terry Stacey's cinematography, the animation, titles and special effects handled by Gary Leib and John Kuramoto, music that reflects Pekar's affection for jazz and R&B and Pulcini's own smooth editing.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
HBO Films
A Good Machine production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer: Ted Hope
Director of photography: Terry Stacey
Production designer: Therese DePrez
Music: Mark Suozzo
Costume designer: Michael Wilkinson
Editor: Robert Pulcini
Cast:
Harvey Pekar: Paul Giamatti
Joyce Brabner: Hope Davis
Toby Radloff: Judah Friedlander
Robert Crumb: James Urbaniak
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/12/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
American Splendor
This review was written for the festival screening of "American Splendor".
PARK CITY -- Every now and then, ambitious filmmakers try to capture the rhythms and splendor of everyday life, the mundane, nitty-gritty routine people experience almost without noticing. Other filmmakers, equally as ambitious, struggle to portray the blue-collar environment, where daily drudgery consumes much of waking life and dark pessimism creeps into the soul. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's "American Splendor", which derives from the autobiographical comic books written by Cleveland's most famous file clerk, Harvey Pekar, absolutely nails those elusive ambitions. It's an extraordinary film.
Taking as its theme the Pekarism that "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff," the two documentarians in their feature debut hit an unbelievably rich vein of drama, humor, love, whimsy, psychological turmoil, commonplace travails, genuine trauma and artistic triumph.
Pekar's core following is small, but this HBO movie's take on the cult of Harvey and his impressive comic book series should help it grow immeasurably. Premiering in competition at Sundance, "American Splendor", a clear audience favorite, richly deserves theatrical exposure as well.
The filmmakers employ a mixed-media approach that turns the movie screen into a comic book panel, bringing us images of the real Harvey Pekar, who narrates the film in his raspy voice, intercut with his fictional self, wife and adopted child played with robust energy by, respectively, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Madylin Sweeten. Archival footage of Harvey's unruly appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," a stage version of "American Splendor" and animation, which picks up the style and substance of his comics -- all seamlessly integrated -- flesh out the story of one of life's losers who gets his revenge but doesn't seem to enjoy it.
Make no doubt, Harvey is a loser. An obsessive-compulsive personality who clutters his home with thousands of vintage LPs and books, he has settled into a safe but dull existence as a VA hospital file clerk in Cleveland. His co-workers are a collection of misfits, each with his own personality disorder, the funniest being Toby (Judah Friedlander), whose slow speech and simple-minded values strike a resonant cord with the audience. But even Toby fails to dissipate the clouds of doom and gloom that hover over Harvey.
Then comes a chance meeting while rummaging for treasures at a garage sale with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), who becomes a buddy. When Crumb gains international recognition for his taboo-smashing underground comics, this energizes Harvey to write his own comics. He can't draw, so he fills panels with stick figures and a no-b.s. account of the trials and tribulations of life. Crumb likes them enough to illustrate them.
After the publication of the first "American Splendor" in 1976, other illustrators take over, causing Harvey's appearance to change frequently. None of this brings fame or fortune. However, it does bring a letter from a Delaware comic book store owner, Joyce Brabner (Davis), who after more correspondence and phone conversations comes to Cleveland. Almost immediately, the two marry, determining that for better or worse -- and it often is worse -- they are soul mates.
Even the "Letterman" appearances don't boost sales as the talk show host makes Harvey the butt of jokes about his ordinariness. Real drama comes when Harvey struggles for a year with cancer, an experience he and Joyce turn into a graphic novel.
Moving back and forth from the neorealistic look of "American Splendor" to the more artificial, quasi-documentary segments, the filmmakers playfully express the comic books' point of view about Harvey's existence and his working-class neighborhood. Believing that life is best observed in the details, the film sharply scrutinizes the little things that reveal whole mind-sets and attitudes. Harvey's pessimism, obsessions and frustrations -- the things that may have made him sick and certainly helped him to nearly lose his voice -- enrich his narrative art.
Giamatti gives a great performance, finding humor and humanity in this sad-sack schlemiel. So too with Davis, who makes Joyce into a shy yet shrewd woman who immediately sees her husband as a lifelong reclamation project.
Harvey may have played the buffoon with Letterman, but the guy is really a grunge intellectual. And the untidy ordinariness of his life is hugely compelling when seen from the right angle.
Helping to create that angle are the earthen palette of Terry Stacey's cinematography, the animation, titles and special effects handled by Gary Leib and John Kuramoto, music that reflects Pekar's affection for jazz and R&B and Pulcini's own smooth editing.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
HBO Films
A Good Machine production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer: Ted Hope
Director of photography: Terry Stacey
Production designer: Therese DePrez
Music: Mark Suozzo
Costume designer: Michael Wilkinson
Editor: Robert Pulcini
Cast:
Harvey Pekar: Paul Giamatti
Joyce Brabner: Hope Davis
Toby Radloff: Judah Friedlander
Robert Crumb: James Urbaniak
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
PARK CITY -- Every now and then, ambitious filmmakers try to capture the rhythms and splendor of everyday life, the mundane, nitty-gritty routine people experience almost without noticing. Other filmmakers, equally as ambitious, struggle to portray the blue-collar environment, where daily drudgery consumes much of waking life and dark pessimism creeps into the soul. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini's "American Splendor", which derives from the autobiographical comic books written by Cleveland's most famous file clerk, Harvey Pekar, absolutely nails those elusive ambitions. It's an extraordinary film.
Taking as its theme the Pekarism that "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff," the two documentarians in their feature debut hit an unbelievably rich vein of drama, humor, love, whimsy, psychological turmoil, commonplace travails, genuine trauma and artistic triumph.
Pekar's core following is small, but this HBO movie's take on the cult of Harvey and his impressive comic book series should help it grow immeasurably. Premiering in competition at Sundance, "American Splendor", a clear audience favorite, richly deserves theatrical exposure as well.
The filmmakers employ a mixed-media approach that turns the movie screen into a comic book panel, bringing us images of the real Harvey Pekar, who narrates the film in his raspy voice, intercut with his fictional self, wife and adopted child played with robust energy by, respectively, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Madylin Sweeten. Archival footage of Harvey's unruly appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," a stage version of "American Splendor" and animation, which picks up the style and substance of his comics -- all seamlessly integrated -- flesh out the story of one of life's losers who gets his revenge but doesn't seem to enjoy it.
Make no doubt, Harvey is a loser. An obsessive-compulsive personality who clutters his home with thousands of vintage LPs and books, he has settled into a safe but dull existence as a VA hospital file clerk in Cleveland. His co-workers are a collection of misfits, each with his own personality disorder, the funniest being Toby (Judah Friedlander), whose slow speech and simple-minded values strike a resonant cord with the audience. But even Toby fails to dissipate the clouds of doom and gloom that hover over Harvey.
Then comes a chance meeting while rummaging for treasures at a garage sale with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), who becomes a buddy. When Crumb gains international recognition for his taboo-smashing underground comics, this energizes Harvey to write his own comics. He can't draw, so he fills panels with stick figures and a no-b.s. account of the trials and tribulations of life. Crumb likes them enough to illustrate them.
After the publication of the first "American Splendor" in 1976, other illustrators take over, causing Harvey's appearance to change frequently. None of this brings fame or fortune. However, it does bring a letter from a Delaware comic book store owner, Joyce Brabner (Davis), who after more correspondence and phone conversations comes to Cleveland. Almost immediately, the two marry, determining that for better or worse -- and it often is worse -- they are soul mates.
Even the "Letterman" appearances don't boost sales as the talk show host makes Harvey the butt of jokes about his ordinariness. Real drama comes when Harvey struggles for a year with cancer, an experience he and Joyce turn into a graphic novel.
Moving back and forth from the neorealistic look of "American Splendor" to the more artificial, quasi-documentary segments, the filmmakers playfully express the comic books' point of view about Harvey's existence and his working-class neighborhood. Believing that life is best observed in the details, the film sharply scrutinizes the little things that reveal whole mind-sets and attitudes. Harvey's pessimism, obsessions and frustrations -- the things that may have made him sick and certainly helped him to nearly lose his voice -- enrich his narrative art.
Giamatti gives a great performance, finding humor and humanity in this sad-sack schlemiel. So too with Davis, who makes Joyce into a shy yet shrewd woman who immediately sees her husband as a lifelong reclamation project.
Harvey may have played the buffoon with Letterman, but the guy is really a grunge intellectual. And the untidy ordinariness of his life is hugely compelling when seen from the right angle.
Helping to create that angle are the earthen palette of Terry Stacey's cinematography, the animation, titles and special effects handled by Gary Leib and John Kuramoto, music that reflects Pekar's affection for jazz and R&B and Pulcini's own smooth editing.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
HBO Films
A Good Machine production
Credits:
Screenwriters-directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Producer: Ted Hope
Director of photography: Terry Stacey
Production designer: Therese DePrez
Music: Mark Suozzo
Costume designer: Michael Wilkinson
Editor: Robert Pulcini
Cast:
Harvey Pekar: Paul Giamatti
Joyce Brabner: Hope Davis
Toby Radloff: Judah Friedlander
Robert Crumb: James Urbaniak
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/12/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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